This invention relates to an apparatus for the recovery of a liquid from a liquid medium containing solids, said apparatus comprising means for contacting said liquid medium with a resilient absorbing material to absorb the liquid therein, means for removing the absorbed liquid from said resilient absorbing material by pressing and means for collecting the liquid thus removed.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,958,279 discloses an apparatus comprising a hopper for feeding sludge onto the top surface of an endless band and means for passing said band along a perforated support at which it is compressed by one or more rollers to remove liquid therefrom, said liquid being collected below said porous support. This prior art apparatus also comprises means for removing a layer of solids formed on the top surface of said endless band by doctors, and means for subsequently passing the endless band through a set of rollers in which additional amounts of liquids are removed by pressing.
A serious drawback of said prior art apparatus is that it is difficult to obtain a strong absorbing band having a mechanical strength sufficiently high to permit the band to be used over long periods of time under the severe influences to which it is subjected during its continuous movement and the squeezing operations.
The object of the invention is to provide an improved apparatus which does not suffer from the drawbacks of the prior art apparatus.